September 12, 2022 at 11:11 p.m.
Dairy showcase honors 35 dairy project members
Nearly $50,000 awarded to 4-H’ers for accomplishments
Thirty-five Minnesota 4-H dairy project members received honors in the Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase Aug. 28 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota. (front, from left), 11th through 25th in the showcase; Natalie Clemenson, Goodhue County; Jacy Saemrow, Rice County; Tyler Ratka, Stearns County; Calvin Benrud, Goodhue County; Ava Kieffer, Winona County; Brea Kieffer, Winona County; Shelby Swanson, McLeod County; Karlie DeGrood, Rice County; Mason Glessing, Wright County; Josephine Sutherland, Pipestone County; Lauren Rott, Olmsted County; Elizabeth Thyen, Meeker County; Evelyn Scheffler, Goodhue County; Tarik Gavranovic, Nicollet County; and Marcus Kajer, Le Sueur County. (middle, from left; Rising Stars Lindsey Gibbs, Winona County; Monika Frericks, Stearns County; Emily Mellgren, Wabasha County; Ashley Mellgren, Wabasha County; Mattea Quigley, Dakota County; Hannah Visser, McLeod County; and Lillian West, Fillmore County; (back, from left) Kamrie Mauer, McLeod County, Rising Star; Madylan Wingert, Fillmore County, Rising Star; Emily Annexstad, emcee; first through 10th in the showcase, respectively: Megan Ratka, Stearns County; Garrett Waldenberger, Houston County; Joseph Achen, Benton County; Hailey Frericks, Stearns County; Dan Frericks, Stearns County; Rachel Visser, McLeod County; Alexis Hoefs, Le Sueur County; Clara Thompson, Olmsted County; Kallie Frericks, Stearns County; Megan Meyer, Winona County; Eric Houdek, emcee; and Anna Rott, Omsted County, Rising Star. PHOTO BY SHERRY NEWELL
Achen won third place in the 2022 Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase, which distributed close to $50,000 to 4-H members who exhibited at this year’s Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. The showcase, in its 14th year, honors accomplishments during the 4-H dairy show at the state fair along with participation and top placings in dairy judging and dairy project bowl. The application and scoring for the awards also includes a leadership profile in which the 4-H’er explains their successes and impact on others, both in 4-H and in life.
While his family moved from Minnesota to Indiana, then South Dakota and Kansas, developing multiple dairy farm enterprises before returning to Minnesota, Achen experienced different 4-H dairy programs.
“But, there were none like this,” Achen said. “I just really enjoy being here with my county.”
The 17-year-old senior at Royalton High School was among 11 dairy project members from Benton County who earned state fair trips with their cattle.
Achen said he is thinking of using his award money to flush the heifer, creating potential future 4-H projects. Achen’s 4-H goals include being on a winning Benton County dairy judging team, an effort he began working toward this year by helping motivate others from the county.
Achen showed a Milking Shorthorn spring yearling in 4-H at the Minnesota State Fair, a heifer that earned him a junior champion rosette and helped him place third in senior showmanship.
Showmanship success also helped propel Megan Ratka of Stearns County to the top of the showcase, which she won for the second time. Ratka ended her final year of 4-H by not only collecting $4,000 to apply to her University of Minnesota-St. Paul tuition, but also by being part of the winning senior dairy judging team that will advance to World Dairy Expo in October in Madison, Wisconsin.
This spring, Ratka and her Stearns County teammates earned a trip to the North American International Livestock Exposition 4-H dairy quiz bowl competition in Louisville, Kentucky. One of those teammates, Hailey Frericks, placed fourth in the showcase with a $2,800 award she plans to apply toward South Dakota State University tuition. She has been recognized in the showcase three times previously.
“I wasn’t expecting (to be in the top five) because it’s just a privilege to be there to round out my 4-H career,” Frericks said.
Frericks is at the end of her 4-H career.
“It’s something special to have the kid recognized and not just the animal,” Frericks said. “It’s nice to know you made an impact.”
Second-place showcase winner Garrett Waldenberger, of Houston County, would like to apply his $3,600 award to buying a small square baler with hopes of starting a small business.
“But, I don’t know if my parents will be on board with that,” he said.
Waldenberger was recognized as one of the showcase’s 10 rising stars. He and his sister, Kendra, own 10 Brown Swiss that are housed with the Steve Klug herd, from which they began leasing 4-H cattle.
Waldenberger works regularly at the Klug farm, scraping and hauling bales and hoping to learn how to mix feed.
“I’ve learned patience and a hard work ethic,” Waldenberger said.
His favorite 4-H activity is the dairy project bowl.
“There you really combine it all,” he said. “You can never be involved enough in dairy.”
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